Key Takeaways
• Canada reinstated visa requirements for most Mexican visitors on February 29, 2024, citing a surge in asylum claims.
• Travelers with a valid U.S. visa or a former Canadian visa can still apply for an eTA if flying directly.
• The policy aims to save $6.6 billion over ten years but could reduce Mexican tourism spending by $997 million.
Canada 🇨🇦 made a big change in its visa requirements for Mexican visitors in early 2024, putting new rules in place that affect travel, tourism, business, and even the relationship between the two countries. This move, made official on February 29, 2024, means that most Mexican citizens must now get a visa before they can come to Canada 🇨🇦. The reasons for this change, what it means for people and businesses, and the impact on both countries are being discussed and felt across North America.
What Changed and Who Does It Affect?
On February 29, 2024 at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Canada 🇨🇦 began to require most Mexican visitors to get a Temporary Resident Visa (often called a TRV) before entering the country. This rule applies to anyone traveling by air, land, or sea.
There are a few exceptions for people flying into Canada 🇨🇦:
- If you have a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa—this is the type of visa used for travel, work, or study in the United States 🇺🇸.
- If you had a Canadian temporary resident visa in the last ten years.
People who fit into these groups can apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), which is a simpler document that makes it faster and easier to visit Canada 🇨🇦 if you’re eligible. But this exception only applies to people flying directly to Canada 🇨🇦. If you’re coming by land, like driving across the border, or by sea, such as on a cruise, you have to go through the full visa process no matter what travel documents you have or had.
Any eTAs that were approved for Mexican visitors before February 29, 2024 have been canceled. If an eTA was linked to a work or study permit given before that date, it still works until it expires.
The Reason for the Change
So why did Canada 🇨🇦 decide to bring back visa requirements for Mexican visitors? The main reason was a sharp rise in asylum claims. In 2023, nearly 24,000 Mexican citizens asked Canada 🇨🇦 for refugee status, a huge jump from only 260 in 2016, when Canada 🇨🇦 had made it easier for Mexicans to visit by removing visa rules. These claims made up about 17% of all asylum requests in Canada 🇨🇦 last year.
Many of these applications did not meet the requirements and were either rejected or withdrawn. Canadian officials said that having so many people applying for asylum at once put a lot of stress on housing, especially in Quebec, and increased the cost and time needed to review each application. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that keeping Canada 🇨🇦’s immigration system working properly meant that tough choices had to be made.
How to Apply: What Has Changed for Mexican Visitors?
Now, Mexican visitors who want to come to Canada 🇨🇦 will most likely have to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa. This application takes more time and planning than the old system, where an eTA could be approved online in just a few minutes.
Because of the new rules, the number of people applying for visas has shot up, and Canadian consulates and embassies worldwide are now much busier. This means applications can take weeks, sometimes even longer, so travelers are being told to apply far ahead of their planned trip.
A TRV lets a person travel to Canada 🇨🇦 as many times as they want while the visa is valid—up to ten years in some cases—but each visit can only last for up to six months unless the person also has another permit, such as for study or work, that says otherwise.
The eTA, which is only for certain travelers flying into Canada 🇨🇦, can still be quicker to get, but only if the person fits the very strict new requirements.
Numbers Behind the Policy: Saving Money But Losing Tourists
The Canadian government published a report on March 13, 2024, giving the public a look at what this change could mean for the economy. The report says that stricter visa rules are expected to save Canada 🇨🇦 about $6.6 billion over ten years, mostly because there will be fewer asylum seekers and, therefore, less spending needed for their housing, healthcare, and application processing.
But there is also a downside: Canada 🇨🇦 may lose about $997 million in tourist spending from Mexican visitors over the same ten-year period. This expected loss is linked to a projected drop in the number of trips by Mexican citizens. Officials think there will be one million fewer visits from Mexican travelers—a sharp drop compared to how things were before these rules changed. Since the average Mexican visitor spends about $1,289 per trip, the effect on restaurants, hotels, attractions, and other tourism businesses could be felt strongly, especially in areas that depend heavily on international visitors.
However, the government believes that the money saved by tightening visa requirements will far outweigh the money lost from fewer visitors. The expected net gain is $5.6 billion over ten years, at least according to the current models.
How the Travel and Tourism Industry Is Responding
Businesses in Canada 🇨🇦 that rely on international visitors, hotels, tour operators, and even airports have expressed concern about the tighter visa requirements. For years, Mexican tourists have been an important part of Canada 🇨🇦’s tourism economy. Before the new rules, Mexican visitors brought in around $236 million every year, and they usually stayed for more than two weeks per trip.
With longer waiting times for visas and more uncertainty about being able to get travel approval, some tourism industry leaders in Ontario and other provinces are calling on Canada 🇨🇦 to do more marketing to travelers from other countries or to find ways to make it easier for Mexicans to visit under controlled conditions. There have also been suggestions to work more closely with travel agencies, airlines, and the Mexican government to help explain the new process and to attract tourists who are still eligible for quick entry.
Industry players worry that, with fewer Mexican tourists, some businesses—especially small hotels, restaurants, and cultural attractions—may face harder times, especially during popular travel seasons.
How These Changes Affect Mexican Travelers
If you are a Mexican traveler hoping to visit Canada 🇨🇦, these new rules mean careful planning is more important than ever. Here’s what you need to think about:
- If you’re flying directly from Mexico 🇲🇽 to Canada 🇨🇦 and you have a valid U.S. visa or you had a Canadian visa in the last ten years, you can apply for an eTA online. This is still a quick and easy way to get travel clearance.
- If you don’t fit these rules, or if you want to travel by car or by sea, you must apply for a Temporary Resident Visa. This process takes longer, and you have to go in person to a consulate or embassy, so you need to start early.
- Before you book any flights or pay for trips, it’s a good idea to check the latest travel rules and visa guidance. Processing times can be long, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be approved right away.
- For business travelers, students, and those hoping to visit family, planning ahead and keeping up to date with changing requirements is very important.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, many travelers have found the new system more challenging, with application forms that take more time to complete, requests for extra documents, and the need for in-person interviews at Canadian consulates in Mexico 🇲🇽.
Diplomatic Effects: Mexico 🇲🇽 and Canada 🇨🇦 at a Crossroads
This policy change has not only changed how people travel but has also affected the close ties between Canada 🇨🇦 and Mexico 🇲🇽. When the policy was announced, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico 🇲🇽 made it clear that he was unhappy with Canada 🇨🇦’s decision, saying it would damage the friendship that both countries had been building since 2016 when visa requirements were last removed.
Mexico’s foreign ministry also issued a statement criticizing the new rules, and although airlines like Aeromexico have not yet changed their flights to Canada 🇨🇦 in a big way, experts think demand could fall during busy travel times later in 2025.
On the Canadian side, Immigration Minister Marc Miller explained that the move was not meant to harm Canada 🇨🇦’s relationship with Mexico 🇲🇽 but was needed to keep the immigration system working smoothly. He said, “We attach great importance to our close ties with Mexico… [but] preserving our immigration system requires difficult choices.”
These new visa requirements have also come at a time when relations between North American countries have been more tense. In the summer of 2024, President López Obrador even put a freeze on high-level meetings with Canada 🇨🇦 and the United States 🇺🇸 after these countries spoke out against some of his government’s proposed changes to the judicial system in Mexico 🇲🇽. Though migration and border policies are separate from these legal and political fights, the events have shown just how easily relationships between governments can be affected by different problems at the same time.
How Canadian Businesses Are Adapting
Not all Canadian provinces see the new visa requirements the same way. For example, Quebec has welcomed the federal government’s actions, saying it will relieve some pressure on public services like housing and social aid, which have been stretched thin since the COVID-19 pandemic reopened borders in 2022. For other regions that are more dependent on tourism, though, the road ahead may be tougher.
Travel companies, restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers that once relied on steady traffic from Mexican tourists may have to change their marketing strategies, look for visitors from other countries, or focus on groups who still have a quicker path using eTA—like Mexicans who also have U.S. visas.
Some businesses are even teaming up with new partners, such as airlines or online travel agencies, to offer help to would-be travelers navigating the latest rules and paperwork.
The Big Picture: Security and Hospitality in a Changing World
Canada 🇨🇦’s decision to make it harder for Mexican visitors to enter the country speaks to a challenge faced by many wealthy countries—how to balance a desire to welcome travelers, tourists, and students with the need to avoid overloading the immigration system. In recent years, wars, economic problems, and climate disasters have caused more people to leave their countries in search of safety and new opportunities, not just from Mexico 🇲🇽 but from around the world.
By making it tougher for Mexican travelers, Canada 🇨🇦 hopes to limit the number of people claiming asylum without full cause. At the same time, there is a risk of losing some of the strong bonds formed through family visits, educational programs, business ties, and tourism. There’s also the danger that some small Canadian towns and cities—especially those not used to welcoming large groups from other countries—will feel these changes the most, both financially and socially.
What’s Next for Canada 🇨🇦 and Mexican Visitors?
The visa requirements for Mexican visitors are likely to remain a topic of debate. Some groups, especially those in tourism and education, may continue to ask the government to find new ways of keeping doors open to responsible, law-abiding visitors from Mexico 🇲🇽. Others, focused on keeping Canada 🇨🇦’s borders secure and cutting government spending, support the move as necessary for the times.
With national elections coming up in several countries in North America, including Canada 🇨🇦, the United States 🇺🇸, and Mexico 🇲🇽, travel policies and immigration will probably stay in the public spotlight.
Summary and Next Steps
To sum up, Canadian visa requirements for Mexican citizens have changed as of February 29, 2024:
- Most Mexican visitors now need a Temporary Resident Visa to come to Canada 🇨🇦.
- A small number can still get an eTA if flying directly and meeting strict conditions involving U.S. or former Canadian visas.
- The new policy aims to save government money but could hurt the tourism industry.
- It has caused some tension between the governments of Canada 🇨🇦 and Mexico 🇲🇽.
- Travelers and businesses in both countries must be ready for longer and more detailed planning, higher costs, and possible delays.
For those planning to visit Canada 🇨🇦 or looking for up-to-date government information, you can check current rules, processing times, and application forms directly on the official Canadian government immigration website. It’s always smart to start your travel planning early and keep checking for the latest updates, as immigration rules can change quickly in today’s world.
Canada 🇨🇦 and Mexico 🇲🇽 will likely continue to revisit these issues as travel, business, and migration patterns evolve. For now, Mexican travelers, Canadian businesses, and policymakers must all adapt to newer, stricter visa requirements and find ways to keep friendships and partnerships strong even as official rules shift.
Learn Today
Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) → A document allowing individuals to visit Canada for tourism, business, or family for up to six months.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) → An online entry document for travelers eligible to fly to Canada, quicker than a full visa but with strict conditions.
Asylum Claims → Requests made by individuals seeking refuge in another country due to danger or persecution in their home country.
Canadian Consulate → A Canadian government office abroad where citizens and foreigners apply for services, including visas and travel documents.
Immigration Minister → A government official responsible for managing national policies on immigration, refugees, and citizenship applications.
This Article in a Nutshell
Canada’s new visa rules for Mexicans, effective February 29, 2024, demand more planning and paperwork for travel. Driven by rising asylum claims, these changes could save billions but risk hurting tourism and diplomatic ties. Only some flyers with U.S. or previous Canadian visas qualify for easier Electronic Travel Authorization entry.
— By VisaVerge.com
